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Friday, May 13, 2011

Lemon poppy seed pound cake

I thought I would post a recipe for a cake I really like. I just sent the recipe to two of my friends. I have been able to paint a couple of sky fabrics for the new quilt I am working on and I will post photos a little later after they dry. I don't know if the sky fabric with work for this particular quilt but if not I can use the fabric for other quilts. Sometimes I need to paint several pieces of fabric to get a piece I want to use . You never know how the fabric will be until it is dry. I am using Pebeo fabric paint to paint my sky fabric.
This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks THE NEW BASIC COOKBOOK by
Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins
Cake:
3 Tabelspoons milk 11/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs 11/2 cups sifted cake flour (** see below for homemade cake flour)
3/4 cups sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 Tabelspoon ( loosly packed) grated lemon peel
3 Tabelspoons poppy seeds 13 Tabelspoons unsalted butter, at room temp.

LEMON SYRUP:
1/4 plus 2 Tabelspoons suger
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350
1.Grease a 4 cup (8x4-inch) or 6 cup loaf pan line the bottom with parchment or wax paper and grease and flour the paper.
or grease and flour a fluted tube pan.
2. Lightly combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla in a medium size bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl , combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon peel and poppy seeds.
mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Then add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the
dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium ( high if you are using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 minute.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the remaing egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after
each addition, abnd scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. ( the batter will be almost 1/2 inch from
the top of a 4-cup loaf pan. If your pan is slightly smaller use any excess batter for cup cakes.
6.Bake, covering the pan lightly with buttered aluminum foil after 30 minutes to prevent over browning, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.55 to 65 minutes ( 35 to 45 minutes in a fluted tube pan.)
To get an attractive split down the middle of the crust wait until the natural split is about to develope ( when the cake has cooked
for about 20 minutes), and then use a lightly greased sharp knife to make a shallow mark about 6 inches long down
the middle of the cake.(This must be done very quickly so that the oven door does not remain open very long or the cake will fall.
When the cake splits it will open along the mark.
7. Shortly before the cake is done prepare the Lemon Syrup In a small pan over medium heat. Stir the sugar and lemon juice together until the sugar has dissolved.
8. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack, poke the cake all over with a wire tester or
a wooden skewer and brush it with half the syrup. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes.
9. Loosen the sides of the cake with a spatula and invert it onto a greased wire rack. Poke the bottom of the cake with a wire tester or wooden skewer brush it with some syrup and reinvert the cake onto a greased wire rack . Brush the sides of the cake
with the remaining lemon syrup and allow the cake to cool completely.
10. Store the cake for 24 hours tightly wrapped in plastic wrap ( to give the syrup time to distribute evenly) Serve at room temp.
Makes 8 portions
** homemade cake flour ( remove 2 Tabelspoons of flour from a cup of flour and add 11/2 Tabelspoons
cornstarch then mix and use)